J FORCE ON PARADE AT PAPAKURA

Chronicle (Levin), 16 May 1946, Page 2

J FORCE ON PARADE AT PAPAKURA

By Telegraph — Press Association AUCKLAND, May 15. ltclicf of tlic men serving witli the British Conuuonwealth Forces of Oceupatioti in Japan, will be carried out on a mau for man basis and not on a unit system, stated Major-General McD. Weir, Cliief of the Gencral Wta.IT, louight. Although the first draft of men Ironi New Zealaiul to replacc .those in Japan will have to leave very soon, thcre is still no delinito saili'ng date. The actual change ovcr would have 'to be on a man for man basis, said Gencral Wcir. This meant tliat a coolc uiust be rcplaced by a eook, a mechanic by a mechanic, and so on ' tliroughout the force. It was not just a case of bringing back a whole unit and seuding over a frcsh one. The first men back would be those who were to be discharged first and the rcquirements of the units in Japan, thcrcforc, would govcrn the cxact naturo of replaeements to sail from Ncw Zealand iu the first draft. The offieer conmianding the draft would be the scnior offieer among those it was found liecessary to includc. About 2000 membej'S of J Force took part in a ceremonial paradc at Papakura Canip. Meinbers of the force who have been training for periods of - only three to cight weeks, gaye a inos,t creditable display beforc the Cliief of the General Staff, Major-Gencral N. W. McD. Weir, CtB.E,, who toolc the salutc. The "general standard of nutrching was high and the drill in some 'sections borc comparison Avith some' of tlie bcst displays scen at' Papakura. Rain at the end of the parade pre'veuted • General Weir from addressing the m'6n but he left a personal message to the troops to be published in routine orders. * In this message he expressed his appreciation of the men's performance. It 'confirmed, he said, the impression he had formed after seeing the men during the course of their training, that they were keen to learn and that their hearts were ifi their jobs. "We have won and you ara ait, imgorfcaat step ia winuixig

tlie peaec," he said. "It is no good telling the Japanese that our way of life which we were proparcd to dcfend at all costs, is a better onq than tlieirs. Now they liave to be shown that free men are capable of surrendering part of their freedom in a diseiplincd association which is smartcr and more efficient than anytliing they have ever dreamed of. That is your job and one which can onlv be done by each individual giving of his very best."